Tuesday 26 December 2017

CANADA: Nova Scotia, People Live Over 100 Years Old, Racism Against Black Canadians Occurs Highly

Nova Scotia is one of the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. Nova Scotia consists of a very large peninsula known as the mainland, connected to the province of New Brunswick by a narrow strip of land, and includes Cape Breton Island, which is now joined to the mainland by the Canso Causeway.

Nova Scotia was one of the original four provinces that became part of Canada in 1867, and as of 2011 had a population of 922,000 people, of whom 44% live in the capital city, Halifax.

Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland, and Scottish settlers brought culture and traditions that continue to this day, albeit now mixed with the cultures of native Mi'kmaq and settlers from numerous other places.

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces, and one of the four provinces that form Atlantic Canada. Its provincial capital is Halifax.

Nova Scotia is the second-smallest of Canada's ten provinces, with an area of 55,284 square kilometres (21,300 sq mi), including Cape Breton and another 3,800 coastal islands.

As of 2016, the population was 923,598. Nova Scotia is Canada's second-most-densely populated province, after Prince Edward Island, with 17.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (45/sq mi).

Nova Scotia means New Scotland in Latin and is the recognized English-language name for the province. In Scottish Gaelic, the province is called Alba Nuadh, which also simply means New Scotland.

The province was first named in the 1621 Royal Charter granting the right to settle lands including modern Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and the Gaspe Peninsula to Sir William Alexander in 1632.

Nova Scotia is Canada's smallest province in area after Prince Edward Island. The province's mainland is the Nova Scotia peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, including numerous bays and estuaries. Nowhere in Nova Scotia is more than 67 km (42 mi) from the ocean.

Cape Breton Island, a large island to the northeast of the Nova Scotia mainland, is also part of the province, as is Sable Island, a small island notorious for its shipwrecks, approximately 175 km (110 mi) from the province's southern coast.

Nova Scotia has many ancient fossil-bearing rock formations. These formations are particularly rich on the Bay of Fundy's shores. Blue Beach near Hantsport, Joggins Fossil Cliffs, on the Bay of Fundy's shores, has yielded an abundance of Carboniferous-age fossils.

Wasson's Bluff, near the town of Parrsboro, has yielded both Triassic- and Jurassic-age fossils.

The province contains 5,400 lakes.

The province includes regions of the Mi'kmaq nation of Mi'kma'ki or mi'gama'gi. The Mi'kmaq people inhabited Nova Scotia at the time the first European colonists arrived.

In 1605, French colonists established the first permanent European settlement in the future Canada and the first north of Florida at Port Royal, founding what would become known as Acadia.

The British conquest of Acadia took place in 1710. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 formally recognized this and returned Cape Breton Island or ile Royale to the French. Present-day New Brunswick then still formed a part of the French colony of Acadia.

The British changed the name of the capital from Port Royal to Annapolis Royal. In 1749, the capital of Nova Scotia moved from Annapolis Royal to the newly established Halifax.

In 1755 the vast majority of the French population the Acadians were forcibly removed in the Expulsion of the Acadians; New England Planters arrived between 1759 and 1768 to replace them.

In 1763, most of Acadia Cape Breton Island, St. John's Island now Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick became part of Nova Scotia. In 1769, St. John's Island became a separate colony.

Nova Scotia included present-day New Brunswick until that province's establishment in 1784, after the arrival of United Empire Loyalists. In 1867, Nova Scotia became one of the four founding provinces of the Canadian Confederation.

In 1871, the largest religious denominations were Protestant with 103,500 (27%); Roman Catholic with 102,000 (26%); Baptist with 73,295 (19%); Anglican with 55,124 (14%); Methodist with 40,748 (10%), Lutheran with 4,958 (1.3%); and Congregationalist with 2,538 (0.65%).[39]

According to the 2001 census, the largest denominations by number of adherents were the Roman Catholic Church with 327,940 (37%); the United Church of Canada with 142,520 (17%); and the Anglican Church of Canada with 120,315 (13%).There are also 8,505 (0.9%) Muslims according to 2011 census.

Nova Scotia is a relatively compact and densely populated province by Canadian standards, so unless you are traveling along the length of the province from the southwest tip Yarmouth to the northeast Cape Breton Highlands National Park, distances are not excessive.

According to the 2006 Canadian census the largest ethnic group in Nova Scotia is Scottish (31.9%), followed by English (31.8%), Irish (21.6%), French (17.9%), German (11.3%), Aboriginal origin (5.3%), Dutch (4.1%), Black Canadians (2.8%), Welsh (1.9%) Italian (1.5%), and Scandinavian (1.4%). 40.9% of respondents identified their ethnicity as Canadian.

Nova Scotia is home to the largest Scottish Gaelic-speaking community outside of Scotland, with a small number of native speakers in Pictou County, Antigonish County, and Cape Breton Island, and is taught in a number of secondary schools throughout the province.

Nova Scotia has a long history of social justice work to address issues such as racism and sexism within its borders. The Nova Scotia legislature was the third in Canada to pass human rights legislation (1963). The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission was established in 1967.

Regions of Nova Scotia

- Cape Breton Island

- Halifax Regional Municipality

- Annapolis Valley

- Cumberland County

- South Shore

- Northumberland Shore

- Yarmouth & Acadian Shores

Cities and Towns of Nova Scotia

- Halifax, the provincial capital and largest city in Nova Scotia. East Coast base for the Canadian Navy and a major Atlantic port, home to several major universities, with plenty of opportunities for travelers to experience local history, culture, food and drink.

- Sydney, the largest community in Cape Breton, and heart of the Industrial Cape Breton region.

- Guysborough

- New Glasgow

- Pictou

- Amherst

- Windsor

- Middleton

- Hubley

- Lunenburg

- Liverpool

- Shelburne

- Yarmouth

- Chester

Tobeatic Wilderness & Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. The largest protected wilderness area in Atlantic Canada. The Tobeatic is a large natural area that spans five counties and more than 104,000 hectares of central southwestern Nova Scotia.

Nine major rivers flow from the Tobeatic and over 120 lakes are found within the wilderness area. The wilderness area is available to the public for canoeing, birding, and other outdoor pursuits for the enjoyment of nature.

The Tobeatic features numerous species of interest including the last native population of moose, black bear, southern flying squirrel, Blanding's turtle, Eastern ribbon snake, Bald Eagle, brook trout, Lady Slipper orchids, and various carnivorous and non-chlorophytic flowering plants.

Brier Island in the Bay of Fundy. Brier Island is a unique destination situated off the end of ancient basalt formation Digby Neck jutting out into the world famous Bay of Fundy.

This area is rich in marine life as Whale Watching, Atlantic flyway for migrating birds and has a resident seal colony The area has been long visited by naturalists who regularly spot rare and endangered plants.

Rock hounds will be impressed with the many types of rock formations and can find quartz, agate jasper, amethyst and even zeolite. An area truly unspoiled, off the beaten track and deeply steeped in maritime tradition.

Home of the famous Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail solo around the world in 1895 on the Spay a 37’ sloop. Brier Island offers many trails to explore both easy and challenging for hikers on short or extended visits.

The island is accessible by two short ferry rides from the end of Digby Neck.

For a population just under a million Nova Scotia is remarkably diverse, Mi'kmaq, Scots descendants, black Nova Scotians, French Acadians, Annapolis Valley farmers, Cape Bretoners and Haligonians all forming distinct groups with their own unique quirks, culture and language.

Champlain named Nova Scotia Acadie and claimed it for France in 1604.

French immigrants settled the area and became prosperous farmers and fisherman until officially expelled by the British in the mid 18th century their lands especially on the South Shore to be repopulated with foreign Protestants meaning mostly Dutch and German.

Many areas still retain a strong Acadian French culture, including the largest francophone municipality, Clare in Digby County and Argyle, in Yarmouth County. Nova Scotia hosted the World Acadian Congress in 2005. The Louisiana cajun is a slang adaptation of Acadien in the French.

Longfellow's poem Evangeline celebrates the victims of the Expulsion, as does Zachary Richard's drum and voice song Reveille. Because of the expulsion, French is far more commonly heard in New Brunswick.

Halifax, the capital, is one of the oldest cities in North America and was a critical sea link during World Wars I and II. The infamous Halifax explosion caused by collision of two ships in Halifax Harbour in 1917 was the worst man-made explosion on Earth until Hiroshima in 1945.

Halifax today is an education and high technology center with over a dozen post-secondary institutions including Dalhousie University and substantial operations by major high-technology firms.

Academics have unusual influence in Nova Scotia perhaps because of the concentration of them in the capital. Many have even written legislation.

Unless you are a winter surfer, or like to snowshoe, then it is probably best to visit Nova Scotia sometime June-Oct when the weather is warm, the skies are blue and the water may be less frigid.

The main byways are along the coast, and a lot of small shops and restaurants are open around the coast during the summer months. Watch out for mosquitoes and horseflies in the summer, however, especially after a storm.

Locals of many desirable areas exaggerate the cold, storms, pests, etc., in order to discourage tourists from moving in permanently. This tendency has declined in recent years as the population has aged.

Nova Scotia's South Shore is one of the rare Blue Zones in the world where an unusually high percentage of people lives to over 100 years old. The province highlights this fact in some of its immigration ads.

Nova Scotia's per capita GDP in 2010 was $38,475, significantly lower than the national average per capita GDP of $47,605 and a little more than half of Canada's richest province, Alberta. GDP growth has lagged behind the rest of the country for at least the past decade.

Nova Scotia's traditionally resource-based economy has diversified in recent decades. The rise of Nova Scotia as a viable jurisdiction in North America, historically, was driven by the ready availability of natural resources, especially the fish stocks off the Scotian Shelf.

The fishery was a pillar of the economy since its development as part of New France in the 17th century; however, the fishery suffered a sharp decline due to overfishing in the late 20th century.

The collapse of the cod stocks and the closure of this sector resulted in a loss of approximately 20,000 jobs in 1992.

Other sectors in the province were also hit hard, particularly during the last two decades, coal mining in Cape Breton and northern mainland Nova Scotia has virtually ceased, and a large steel mill in Sydney closed during the 1990s.

More recently, the high value of the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar has hurt the forestry industry, leading to the shutdown of a long-running pulp and paper mill near Liverpool.

Mining, especially of gypsum and salt and to a lesser extent silica, peat and barite, is also a significant sector. Since 1991, offshore oil and gas has become an important part of the economy, although production and revenue are now declining.

Agriculture remains an important sector in the province, particularly in the Annapolis Valley.

Nova Scotia’s defence and aerospace sector generates approximately $500 million in revenues and contributes about $1.5 billion to the provincial economy each year.

To date, 40% of Canada’s military assets reside in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia has the fourth-largest film industry in Canada hosting over 100 productions yearly, more than half of which are the products of international film and television producers.

In 2015, the government of Nova Scotia eliminated tax credits to film production in the province, jeopardizing the industry given most other jurisdictions continue to offer such credits.

The Nova Scotia tourism industry includes more than 6,500 direct businesses, supporting nearly 40,000 jobs. Two hundred thousand cruise-ship passengers from around the world flow through the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia each year.

This industry contributes approximately $1.3 billion annually to the economy. The province also boasts a rapidly developing Information & Communication Technology (ICT) sector which consists of over 500 companies, and employs roughly 15,000 people.

In 2006, the manufacturing sector brought in over $2.6 billion in chained GDP, the largest output of any industrial sector in Nova Scotia. Michelin remains by far the largest single employer in this sector, operating three production plants in the province.

As of 2012, the median family income in Nova Scotia was $67,910, below the national average of $74,540; in Halifax the figure rises to $80,490

The province is the world’s largest exporter of Christmas trees, lobster, gypsum, and wild berries. Its export value of fish exceeds $1 billion, and fish products are received by 90 countries around the world. Nevertheless, the province's imports far exceed its exports.

While these numbers were roughly equal from 1992 until 2004, since that time the trade deficit has ballooned. In 2012, exports from Nova Scotia were 12.1% of provincial GDP, while imports were 22.6%.

Nova Scotia has long been a centre for artistic and cultural excellence. The capital, Halifax, hosts institutions such as Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Neptune Theatre, Dalhousie Arts Centre, Two Planks and a Passion Theatre, Ship's Company Theatre and the Symphony Nova Scotia.

The province is home to avant-garde visual art and traditional crafting, writing and publishing and a film industry.

Much of the historic public art sculptures in the province were made by New York sculptor J. Massey Rhind as well as Canadian sculptors Hamilton MacCarthy, George Hill, Emanuel Hahn and Louis-Philippe Hébert. Some of this public art was also created by Nova Scotian John Wilson a sculptor.

Nova Scotian George Lang was a stone sculptor who also built many landmark buildings in the province, including the Welsford-Parker Monument.

Renowned American artists like sculptor Richard Serra, composer Philip Glass and abstract painter John Beardman spent part of the year in Nova Scotia.

The cuisine of Nova Scotia is typically Canadian with an emphasis on local seafood. One endemic dish in the sense of peculiar to and originating from is the Halifax donair, a distant variant of the doner kebab prepared using thinly sliced beef meatloaf and a sweet condensed milk sauce.

As well, hodge podge, a creamy soup of fresh baby vegetables, is native to Nova Scotia.

The province is also known for blueberry grunt.

There are a number of festivals and cultural events that are recurring in Nova Scotia, or notable in its history.

The following is an incomplete list of festivals and other cultural gatherings in the province:

- Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival

- Atlantic Theatre Festival

- Atlantic Film Festival

- Atlantic Band Festival

- Cape Breton International Drum Festival

- Celtic Colours

- Evolve Festival

- Halifax Comedy Festival

- Halifax Pride

- Halifax Pop Explosion

- Nova Scotia Gaelic Mod

- Stan Rogers Folk Festival

- Stoked for the Holidays

- Strategic Partners

- Summer Rush

- The Word on the Street (literary festival)

- Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre

- Virgin Festival

Nova Scotia's tourism industry showcases Nova Scotia's culture, scenery and coastline.

Nova Scotia has many museums reflecting its ethnic heritage, including the Glooscap Heritage Centre, Grand-Pre National Historic Site, Hector Heritage Quay and the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia.

Others museums tell the story of its working history, such as the Cape Breton Miners' Museum, and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

Nova Scotia is home to several internationally renowned musicians and there are visitor centres in the home towns of Hank Snow, Rita MacNeil, and Anne Murray Centre.

There are also numerous music and cultural festivals such as the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Celtic Colours, the Nova Scotia Gaelic Mod, Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, the Atlantic Film Festival and the Atlantic Fringe Festival.

The province has 87 National Historic Sites of Canada, including the Habitation at Port-Royal, the Fortress of Louisbourg and Citadel Hill at Fort George in Halifax.

Nova Scotia has two national parks, Kejimkujik and Cape Breton Highlands, and many other protected areas. The Bay of Fundy has the highest tidal range in the world, and the iconic Peggys Cove is internationally recognized and receives 600,000-plus visitors a year.

Acadian Skies and Mi'kmaq Lands is a starlight reserve in southwestern Nova Scotia. It is the first certified UNESCO-Starlight Tourist Destination.

Starlight tourist destinations are locations that offer conditions for observations of stars which are protected from light pollution.

Cruise ships pay regular visits to the province. In 2010, Halifax received 261,000 passengers and Sydney 69,000.

A 2008 Nova Scotia tourism campaign included advertising a fictional mobile phone called Pomegranate and establishing website, which after reading about new phone redirected to tourism info about region.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) is the main airport in the province, with service from various parts of Canada, the United States and Europe. Regularly scheduled flights are also made to Sydney (YQY) in Cape Breton from Halifax and Toronto.

Nova Scotia has only one primary road connection, the Trans-Canada Highway #104 in Nova Scotia, connecting to #2 in New Brunswick. The Nova Scotia border is about 55km southeast of Moncton, New Brunswick.

Via Rail Canada's Ocean travels from Montreal, Charny (Quebec City) and eastern New Brunswick to Nova Scotia. Unfortunately this service now only operates 3 days per week and takes about 22 hours to get from Montreal to Halifax. Sleeping cars are available, but relatively expensive.

Scheduled bus service between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia is provided by Maritime Bus with connections from Quebec. For more structured bus trips there is also Out Here Travel a backpacker focused hybrid bus transport / tour company which picks up passengers in the Halifax among other places.

Five ferry services connect to Nova Scotia:

- Nova Star Cruises between Portland, Maine and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. One sailing daily May to October only.

- Bay Ferries between Saint John, New Brunswick and Digby, Nova Scotia. One or two sailings daily year round.

- Northumberland Ferries between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou Pictou, Nova Scotia. Three to nine sailings daily May to December only.

- Marine Atlantic between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and North Sydney, Nova Scotia. One to three sailings daily year round.

- Marine Atlantic between Argentia, Newfoundland and North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Three sailings per week June to September only.

A car is necessary to see most destinations of interest to tourists outside of the Halifax area.

The provincial highway system is divided into different sets of roads:

Highways 1 to 99: Original main roads connecting all regions of the province. Typically two-lane roads, passing through towns and villages along the way. Speed limits are 50km/h (in towns) to 90km/h, and many roads have paved shoulders making them suitable for cyclists.

Highways 101 to 199: Expressways providing fast but generally boring travel options across the province. They often parallel similarly-numbered highways 1 to 99, i.e. 1 and 101 are parallel routes through the Annapolis Valley.

Many of these highways are four-lane divided roads, although in more rural areas they are improved two-lane roads. Speed limits are normally 90km/h to 110km/h. Although wide enough for cyclists, the speed of traffic and regular hills may make them less desirable for some.

Highways 201 to 399: Minor highways throughout the province. Some highways are simply a series of local roads that share a common highway number

Local roads: Paved and unpaved roads of varying conditions. Depending on when they were last maintained, some paved local roads may be in worse shape potholes, etc. than the unpaved roads.

It's reasonable to assume that all local roads shown on the provincial highways map are passable with a passenger car, except following major storms.

Scenic routes are identifed by specific signs e.g. Cabot Trail, Sunrise Trail, etc. These provide suggested routes to see as much of Nova Scotia's beautiful scenery as possible.

The layout of the highway network in Nova Scotia is very simple. Starting at Yarmouth, highway 101 takes the Annapolis Valley to Halifax, while highway 103 goes along the South Shore. Heading from Halifax, highway 102 goes to Truro.

At Truro, one can opt to go to Amherst and New Brunswick or to New Glasgow and Cape Breton via highway 104 the Trans-Canada Highway. On Cape Breton Island, the Trans Canada Highway becomes highway 105 to the Newfoundland Ferry at North Sydney, and on to Sydney itself via highway 125.

Alternatively, highway 104 and then 4 travel south of the Bras d'Or Lakes directly to Sydney.

Be aware of road conditions in the winter, especially away from major areas. Highway 104 crossing the Cobequid Mountains on either side of Truro often experiences challenging winter conditions.

Via Rail Canada's Ocean stops in Amherst, Truro and Halifax 3 days per week.

Scheduled bus service in Nova Scotia is provided by Maritime Bus. Routes served include Halifax - Kentville, Halifax - Truro - New Brunswick, and Truro - Sydney. For destinations outside of these routes, privately-run shuttles (minivans) operate along some routes, e.g. Halifax - Yarmouth.

Attractions in Nova Scotia

- Peggys Cove Lighthouse, 35 km SW of Halifax on road 333 is a lighthouse on rounded rocks. The lighthouse is a post office, there is a restaurant and tourist information but otherwise it is just big rocks with a dozen small house and 60 people living there.

Outside Peggys Cove on the 333 there are plenty of B&B's and restaurants.

- Swissair Memorial, close to Peggys Cove on the 333.

- Cape Breton highlands especially in the Fall.

- Citadel Hill, located in downtown Halifax.

- The Southern Nova Scotia Biosphere, Tobeatic Wilderness Area, and Kejimikujik National Park in the southern half of the province--the largest protected wilderness area in Atlantic Canada

- Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortified town in North America.

Activities in Nova Scotia

Pedal and Sea Adventures, Bike tours along Cape Breton's Cabot Trail and Lighthouse Route, along with Best of Both Coasts tour. Also offers bike rentals in the HRM.

Tidal Bore Rafting, Experience the highest tides in the world by riding on the tidal bore wave in a raft. Exhilarating fun, even when the moon isn't full.

Rob's Rock Mineral & Rockhounding Shop, 677 West Main Street, Kentville Take Hwy 101 West from Halifax. Nova Scotia has some of the best rocks and minerals in the world. Rob's Shop is an excellent place to discover these treasures.The Bay of Fundy is an excellent place to rockhound.

From Parrsboro down to Brier Island. There is a great online catalog for folks who can't visit the area.

Freewheeling Adventures, 2070 rte 329 The Lodge, near Hubbards. Bike, multisport, and seakayak tours, guided or self-guided, in the best corners of Nova Scotia. Van support, inns or camping, with best food possible. Rental equipment and delivery also available.

Victoria Park, Whether you’re looking for a place to relax or a place to play, Victoria Park has so much to offer. The Victoria Park Pool is a centrepiece of this stunning recreational area.

This 1,000-acre, very special place in Truro came into being in 1887 and attracts countless visitors each year to its wooded trails, swimming pool, picnic areas, waterfalls, ball field, playground, outdoor stage and more.

During winter months, visitors enjoy walking, snowshoeing, skating and cross-country skiing in The Park. It’s truly a year-round facility.A great place to walk the dog.

Hiking. Nova Scotia is heaven for outdoor recreation lovers. HalifaxTrails lists plenty of outdoor activities in or near Halifax.

Eat as you wish in Nova Scotia

Berries: having so much of the province in a natural state, there are many opportunities to pick wild fruit and berries.

There are wild strawberries in the fields and along roads, wild blueberries, raspberries and cranberries in coastal areas. Blueberry grunt is a blueberry baked with a sweet dumpling topping.

Deep fried pepperoni: a bar snack often dipped in honey mustard sauce.

Dulse: most of this seaweed is harvested at very low tides in parts of Nova Scotia. Locally it is dried and used as a snack.

Garlic fingers: similar to a pizza in shape and size and made with the same type of dough. Instead of the traditional tomato sauce and toppings, garlic fingers consist of pizza dough topped with garlic butter, parsley, and cheese, cooked until the cheese is melted.

Bacon bits are sometimes added. They are typically eaten as a side dish with pizza and often dipped in donair or marinara sauce. They are presented in thin strips or fingers as opposed to triangular slices.

Halifax donair: a pile of roasted, spiced beef known as donair meat with diced tomatoes and white onions covered in condensed milk sauce and wrapped in a pita. It is unique to the province and is available at almost every corner diner and pizzeria.

Hodge podge: a creamy soup of fresh baby vegetables; rarely found in restaurants.

Lobster rolls are common throughout the province.

Shaws Landing 6958 Highway 333, West Dover. Just a few km towards Halifax from Peggys Cove. The Scottish Swiss chef makes excellent seafood in a beautiful setting. Try the blueberry garlic shrimps. No liquor license.

Sutherland's Diner, 2808 Main St. Shubenacadie on the 102 Sandwiches, fish & chips, burgers at low prices.

The Chickenburger, Bedford Highway. Drive up and eat in malt, chickenburger and burger shop since 1940.

Dining at Trout Point Lodge, 189 Trout Point Road Off East Branch Road off Hwy. 203. 7:30PM. The kitchen at Trout Point Lodge brings to fruition savoury creations by drawing from traditional cooking techniques combined with fresh local ingredients.

The Dining Room's fare intertwines wild mushrooms & plants, produce from local growers as well as the on-site gardens, and the ethical selection of the North Atlantic's freshest seafood to create a unique dining experience in daily-changing prix-fixe menus.

Trout Point cuisine reflects place and time without undue emphasis on food styling. The art is in the preparation of the food, with flavour given top priority.

The chef proprietors started as some of Louisiana's first organic farmers, and draw inspiration from substantial time living in places as diverse as Rome, Granada, Central America, and China.

A hallmark of Trout Point's cuisine is the use of the Lodge's own in-house ingredients: House cold-smoked salmon, scallops, trout, and swordfish; Home-made cheeses like chevre, ricotta, and fresh mozzarella.

Vegetables, herbs, and salad greens from the Lodge's ever expanding gardens;

Desserts, ice creams, sorbets, and artisal breads made daily.

vegan soup.

Nova Scotia produces some very good wines. Most wineries offer free tours. Of particular note is Jost Winery along the Northumberland Strait north of Truro.

Try the local beers. Nova Scotia is best known as the home of Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale, known locally simply as Keith's. But there are many lesser known brews available as well.

Not to be missed are the offerings of Propeller Brewery and Garrison Brewing as well as several microbreweries and brewpubs such as the Rogue's Roost.

Throughout the years, many high profile cases of racism against Black Canadians have occurred in Nova Scotia giving it the title of The Mississippi of the North.

Places to visit

The province in Atlantic Canada continues to battle racism with an annual march to end racism against people of African descent.

Ferries leave for Newfoundland and Labrador in the north.

Ferry service to Maine via Nova Star Cruises resumed in May 2014

New Brunswick and Quebec can both be reached in a days drive from most points in Nova Scotia

Prince Edward Island (PEI) can be reached via Ferry from Caribou Wharf near Pictou.



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